Forest and Woodlands Resource Management

 

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Forest and Woodland Resource Management Program manages and conserves 58 million acres of forest and woodland in 12 western States and Alaska. These forests provide a range of ecosystem services including wildlife habitat, hydrologic function, and sustainable harvest of forest products valued by society. A primary activity of the program is to maintain and improve the resilience of forest and woodland ecosystems to wildfire, insects, disease, and drought through density management using timber sales and Stewardship agreements. The goals of the program are to: implement science-based forest restoration projects to improve forest health and resilience to wildfires, insects, disease, and drought. Sustainable harvest of forests and woodlands to produce a continuous supply of wood products and biomass for renewable energy. Salvage dead and dying timber to reduce fuels, in balance with the need for wildlife habitat, watershed function, and soil stability, while supporting local economies. Provide the public with commercial and personal use opportunities to harvest products such as firewood, Christmas trees, boughs, greenery, medicinal plants, fence posts, and pinyon pine nuts from forests and woodlands. Removal of beetle-killed timber to reduce the risk of catastrophic fire and minimize risks to the recreating public. This program supports the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Public Law 117-58, Section 40804(b) Ecosystem Restoration and Section 40803 Wildfire Risk Reduction.

General information about this opportunity
Last Known Status
Active
Program Number
15.233
Federal Agency/Office
Bureau of Land Management, Department of The Interior
Type(s) of Assistance Offered
B - Project Grants
Program Accomplishments
Fiscal Year 2016 No current data available. BLM continues to maintain and expand partnerships to include funding for continued support of collaborative efforts to build community capacity and support for ecological restoration efforts in forests and woodland areas. Both the public and Government agencies benefit from the BLM's support of partners from heightened understanding of the social, economic, as well as environmental, aspects of ecosystem restoration and maintenance. The BLM awarded stewardship cooperative agreements to the Mule Deer Foundation, American Forests, Society of American Foresters, universities, and several resource conservation districts to improve wildlife habitat, reduce hazardous fuels, promote reforestation and restore resilience to forest and woodlands.
Fiscal Year 2017 BLM continues to maintain and expand partnerships to include funding for continued support of collaborative efforts to build community capacity and support for ecological restoration efforts in forests and woodland areas. Both the public and Government agencies benefit from the BLM's support of partners from heightened understanding of the social, economic, as well as environmental, aspects of ecosystem restoration and maintenance. The BLM awarded stewardship cooperative agreements to improve wildlife habitat, reduce hazardous fuels, promote reforestation and restore resilience to forest and woodlands.
Fiscal Year 2018 OR/WA Grants Pass Good Neighbor Hazardous Fuel Reduction Unit Layout and Inspection OR Grants Pass Good Neighbor Forestry Unit Layout and Tree Marking OR/WA Coos Bay Landslide Mapping WY Good Neighbor Agreement CO Good Neighbor Forestry Project, Northwest District
Fiscal Year 2019 UT Statewide Watershed Restoration Initiative ORWA Medford District Stewardship - Table Rock Oak Habitat Restoration Nevada Forestry Program CA Forestry and Woodlands Management WO Support of the Science, Education, and Practice of Forestry
Fiscal Year 2020 Continued to use agreements including Good Neighbor to implement restoration and fuels reduction treatments across forest and woodlands. Projects included forest thinning to improve resilience to wildfire, insect, and disease, hazardous fuels reduction treatments, chemical treatment of invasive weeds, and vegetation treatment to improve wildlife habitat.
Fiscal Year 2021 Projects to protect and restore whitebark pine. Treatment included thinning competing tree species around whitebark pine (daylighting) to promote fire resilience and tree vigor. Whitebark pine stands were also protected using verbenone to repel insect attack. Project partner training workshops on aspen restoration, protection, and management.
Fiscal Year 2023 Expect to treat forest and woodlands to improve resilience and to increase efforts toward reforestation of lands impacted by high severity wildfire and insect epidemics. Part of this effort will entail identifying BLM lands where there has been a loss of forest and woodland cover.
Fiscal Year 2024 Unknown at this time.
Authorization
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) 43 U.S.C. §1737,(b)
Watershed Restoration and Enhancement Agreements 16 U.S.C. §1101 (b)
Stewardship End Results Contracting Projects, 16 U.S.C. §6591c(c)
Who is eligible to apply/benefit from this assistance?
Applicant Eligibility
Not applicable.
Beneficiary Eligibility
Anyone/General public.
Credentials/Documentation
Not applicable.
What is the process for applying and being award this assistance?
Pre-Application Procedure
Preapplication coordination is required. An environmental impact statement is required for this listing. An environmental impact assessment is required for this listing. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.
Application Procedure
2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. A Standard Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance, Standard Form 424A, Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs, Standard Form 424B, Assurances for Non-Construction Programs, and a written proposal, budget spreadsheet, a budget narrative/breakdown, and any other requirements specified in the funding opportunity notice and must be submitted through www.grants.gov.
Award Procedure
All applications will be initially screened for eligibility and compliance with the requirements stated in the program Notice of Funding Opportunity Announcement. Applications passing this screening process will be forwarded for review by the proposal evaluation criteria, and any additional review factors, as stated in the funding announcement. State and District Office level and funding recommendations are made through the State's annual work plan. Final budget approvals rest with the State Director.
Deadlines
Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines
Approval/Disapproval Decision Time
Award time varies depending on the type and complexity of the project. Further information will be available for each project at the time the Notice of Funding Opportunity is posted on www.grants.gov and may be obtained by contacting the point of contact listed in the funding opportunity announcement. Most awards are anticipated within 90 days or less after the announcement closes.
Appeals
Final award decisions are not subject to appeal; however, the Bureau of Land Management will provide all applicants with information on why their proposal was not selected for award.
Renewals
Not applicable.
How are proposals selected?
First Level Screening -Basic Eligibility. Applications will be screened by the Grants Management Officer to ensure that applications meet basic eligibility requirements. Must meet the requirements of the Notice of Funding Opportunity posted on www.grants.gov, screening may include, but is not limited to: Program and/or legislative authority requirements are met; Submission is timely; and complete and properly executed SF-424 application package documents. B. Applications must satisfy basic eligibility screening requirements to be considered for further review. Second Level Evaluation -- Merit Review Evaluation is stated in each Notice of Funding Opportunity noticed post on www.grants.gov Third Level Review Pre-Award Clearance and Approvals. BLM will also complete a business evaluation and determination of responsibility. During these evaluations the Grants Management Officer will evaluate variables such as: Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System, financial stability, quality of management systems, past performance meeting prior award terms and conditions, reports and findings of audits performed, and applicant's ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory or other requirements.
How may assistance be used?
Projects are limited to forestry projects on public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management located mostly in the Western United States and Alaska. Stewardship projects must meet criteria established in the respective statutes.
What are the requirements after being awarded this opportunity?
Reporting
Performance Reports: Shall submit at the minimum an annual Performance Report in accordance with the 2 CFR, Part 200.328 within 90 days after the anniversary date or as indicated in the Notice of Award. Upon completion of the agreement, recipients shall submit a final report no later than 120 calendar day after the award end date.
Auditing
Not applicable.
Records
All recipients of Federal awards shall maintain project records in accordance with 2 CFR 200.333 Retention requirements for records. Financial records, supporting documents, statistical records, and all other non-Federal entity records pertinent to a Federal award must be retained for a period of three years from the date of submission of the final expenditure report or, for Federal awards that are renewed quarterly or annually, from the date of the submission of the quarterly or annual financial report, respectively, as reported to the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity in the case of a subrecipient. Federal awarding agencies and pass-through entities must not impose any other record retention requirements upon non-Federal entities, except as noted in 2 CFR 200.333.
Other Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
No specific restrictions for most projects. However, most projects are awarded for a five year period and funded on a year-by-year basis and funds are expended during a particular fiscal year. No commitment will be made to fund projects beyond one year. New and continuing projects will be re-evaluated each year based on performance, merit, and funding availability. Frequency of recipient payments will be determined for each awarded assistance agreement at time of award.
Who do I contact about this opportunity?
Regional or Local Office
None/Not specified.
Headquarters Office
Forest, Rangeland, & Plant Conservation (HQ 200)
760 Horizon Drive, Suite 324
Grand Junction, CO 81506 US
wsalvers@blm.gov
Phone: 202-849-0990
Website Address
http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/more/forests_and_woodland.html.
Financial Information
Account Identification
14-1108-0-1-302
Obligations
(Cooperative Agreements (Discretionary Grants)) FY 22$4,519,858.00; FY 23 est $500,000.00; FY 24 est $500,000.00; FY 21$24,297,801.00; FY 20$1,167,818.00; FY 19$16,238,500.00; FY 18$831,800.00; FY 17$774,228.00; FY 16$1,447,356.00; - Data not available.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
Past partnership projects have ranged from $1,000 to $450,900. Average amounts approximately $50,000 or less.
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
Not applicable.
Examples of Funded Projects
Fiscal Year 2016 No Current Data Available. Stewardship projects that removed vegetation to promote healthy forest stands and reduced fire hazards. Projects that promote an integrated approach to resource management and include local community participation in developing strategies for biomass utilization, recognizing the connections between biomass utilization and forest restoration, and encourage sustainable development through a variety of enterprises at various scales. Projects that cooperatively support common goals and interests in managing, developing and protecting Federal, State, and private lands and water resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner. The BLM continues to partner with Trinity County Resource Conservation District on the Weaverville Community Forest Stewardship project, a typical example of a stewardship cooperative agreement. This project has treated over 1,000 acres of forest adjacent to the community of Weaverville, California. Project objectives have been to thin the forest in the wildland urban interface and improve forest resilience. Timber value from the thinning has been used to offset the thinning of precommercial trees as well as trail maintenance of local hiking and biking trails. One of the primary employers in Weaverville is a lumber mill which relies on timber supplied from project like this to continue operation.
Fiscal Year 2017 Stewardship projects that removed vegetation to promote healthy forest stands and reduced fire hazards. Projects that promote an integrated approach to resource management and include local community participation in developing strategies for biomass utilization, recognizing the connections between biomass utilization and forest restoration, and encourage sustainable development through a variety of enterprises at various scales. Projects that cooperatively support common goals and interests in managing, developing and protecting Federal, State, and private lands and water resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner. The BLM continues to partner with Trinity County Resource Conservation District on the Weaverville Community Forest Stewardship project, a typical example of a stewardship cooperative agreement. This project has treated over 1,000 acres of forest adjacent to the community of Weaverville, California. Project objectives have been to thin the forest in the wildland urban interface and improve forest resilience. Timber value from the thinning has been used to offset the thinning of precommercial trees as well as trail maintenance of local hiking and biking trails. One of the primary employers in Weaverville is a lumber mill which relies on timber supplied from project like this to continue operation.
Fiscal Year 2018 BLM OR/WA Medford District Conservation Stewardship BLM OR/WA Grants Pass Good Neighbor Hazardous Fuel Reduction Unit Layout and Inspection CO Good Neighbor Forestry Project, Northwest District
Fiscal Year 2019 ORWA Medford District Stewardship - Table Rock Oak Habitat Restoration CA Forestry and Woodlands Management WO Support of the Science, Education, and Practice of Forestry ORWA Coos Bay Landslides Mapping ORWA GNA Grants Pass Forestry Unit Layout and Marking Selection Information UT Statewide Watershed Restoration Initiative
Fiscal Year 2020 The BLM supported a number of projects in FY2020 including projects to protect and restore whitebark pine. Treatment included thinning competing tree species around whitebark pine (daylighting) to promote fire resilience and tree vigor. Whitebark pine stands were also protected using verbenone to repel insect attack. Another example project included technical assistance with training on aspen restoration, protection, and management.
Fiscal Year 2021 BLM funded 210 projects in FY2021. Projects focused on high priority work such as activities that promote forest and woodland health, sustainable forest management, fire resiliency, infrastructure development for future sustainable timber harvest, biomass utilization, habitat conservation needs, and insect, disease and fire recovery.
Fiscal Year 2023 MT/DK: Improve Genetic Tree Seed Stock, Western MT Shared Forester CO: Advancing Cross-Boundary Forest Resiliency Projects, East Troublesome Creek Fire Recovery Aerial Mulching OR/WA: Landslide Inventory Mapping in BLM Coos Bay District, Helipad Maintenance Support
Fiscal Year 2024 Unknown at this time.

 



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